Austrian man flies to S'pore just for completed Circle Line opening, among first to ride 3 new stations

The Circle Line Stage 6 (CCL6) opened for passenger service on Jul. 12, with train enthusiasts waking up bright and early to ride the first train from Marina Bay at 6:14am.

The completed loop includes three new stations: Keppel, Cantonment and Prince Edward Road.

But it was not just locals onboard.

An Austrian man told Mothership that he flew halfway across the world to Singapore just to experience the completion of the Circle Line.

"I came all the way from Austria to visit the CCL6 opening, and I’m very happy to be here. I thank all my friends [who] told that today CCL6 was opening."

Has not slept since Friday

When asked what time he woke up to be on the first train, the Austrian man said: "To be honest, I woke up on Friday, and since I had to fly on Saturday, I haven’t slept since.”

The Austrian man, who was holding on to a suitcase, also told Mothership that his favourite station was Harbourfront.

A student said he woke up at 4am at his boarding school to catch the first train.

“It’s like the Circle Line after so many years is finally a full circle, and I want to see this historic moment," he said of his excitement.

When asked what his favourite station was, the student replied Tan Kah Kee as he was from Hwa Chong.

'Alternative route'

Another transport enthusiast who woke up at 5:15am said he liked that the Circle Line was now a full loop.

He added: "It’s also convenient as another alternative route to get between the eastern and western sides of Singapore, and it will definitely relieve congestion from the existing East-West line."

When asked what his favourite station was, he said Cantonment due to its railway heritage from the former Tanjong Pagar railway station.

"We used to catch trains from there to across the border, to and from Malaysia, and I love how the railway heritage is preserved."

Young boy "dragged" parents out of the house

A young boy told Mothership that in addition to the CCL6 opening, he also attended the Punggol Bus Interchange and Hume Station openings.

Responding to a question on the trick to being early, the boy said: “Wake up early and pray that your parents don’t say ‘I want to sleep longer.'"

He added with a slight smile: “My parents feel tired cause I dragged them out of the house."

Spans 39 kilometres

According to a May 14 Land Transport Authority (LTA) news release, the completed Circle Line will span 39 kilometres across 33 stations, with 12 interchange stations.

LTA said that commuters will enjoy shorter travel times, saving 10 minutes of travel time from Telok Blangah to Marina Bay, for example.